S&c Electric Company

Michael John Meisinger, Sr

Martin T Bishop

James K Niemira

Raymond P O'Leary

Michael G Ennis

Stephen E Williams

Donald S Berkowitz

William D Walburg

Yoav Sharon

Michael Quinlan

David Francis Klein

Peter S Curtiss

Thomas J Burns

Thomas J Bruns

A device having a pulse catching function for detecting fault test pulses in an electrical power distribution network in response to a fault. The device includes one or more sensors for measuring current and/or voltage, where the device detects the pulses by loss of voltage followed by identifying one or more of a peak current magnitude of the pulses being greater than a predetermined current value, a pulse duration of the pulses being greater than a predetermined time, a predetermined interval between consecutive pulses and a presence of a pulse/inverse pulse sequence.

Pulse catching

An electrical power network employing fault location, isolation and system restoration. The system includes a plurality of switching devices electrically coupled along a power line downstream of a fault interrupting device. The switching devices each have current and voltage sensing capability and the capability to provide pulse tests for detecting fault presence. The fault interrupting device performs reclosing operations, and when the plurality of switching devices detect fault presence a predetermined number of times in coordination with reclosing operations performed by the fault interrupting device and detect loss of voltage, each switching device opens. The fault interrupting device closes when the switching devices open, and the switching devices sequentially pulse test and close from a furthest upstream switching device when detecting return of voltage and no fault presence until a switching device closest to the fault pulse tests and detects fault presence and locks open.

Transmission line fault location, isolation and system restoration (FLISR) system

A switching device for controlling power flow on a power line. The device includes a current sensor for measuring primary current on the line, a first voltage sensor for measuring primary voltage on the line at one side of the switching device, and a second voltage sensor for measuring primary voltage on the line at another side of the switching device. An ADC converts measurement signals from the current sensor and the voltage sensors to digital signals, and a PMU calculates magnitude and phase angle synchrophasor data using the current and voltage measurement digital signals and calibration data.

Accuracy for phasor measurement units (synchrophasors) in utility distribution applications

A power restoration system for restoring power to feeder segments in response to a fault. The system includes a reclosing device having a switch and one or more sensors for measuring current and/or voltage on the feeder, where the reclosing device performs a pulse testing process to determine circuit fault conditions. The system also includes a plurality of switching devices electrically coupled along the feeder, where each switching device includes a section switch and one or more sensors for measuring current and/or voltage on the at least one feeder. In one embodiment, each switching device recognizes predetermined pulse codes having a sequence of pulses, where the reclosing device uses the pulse testing process to generate and selectively transmit defined pulse codes on the feeder that selectively cause the section switches to change states between an open state and a closed state depending on the code.

Sectionalizing using coded pulses and pulse testing

A control system and method for tie point fault interrupter and sectionalizing recloser devices in an electrical grid feeder. The technique enables automated sectionalizing reclosers equipped with three-phase current sensing and single- or three-phase voltage sensing, and able to detect pulse-closing operations, to isolate faults and restore load based on pulse count rather than requiring source re-energization and waiting for loss of voltage timers. The system includes a fault interrupter initiating a pulse-testing sequence upon detecting loss of voltage, where a number of preliminary pulses are used to distinguish transient faults from persistent faults, and pulses are counted by the sectionalizing reclosers to determine which of these devices should open. An alternate configuration is disclosed for reinitializing faults, including the fault interrupter closing if initial pulse testing indicates no fault, and subsequent cycles cause a sectionalizing recloser adjacent the fault to open, allowing the fault interrupter to close and hold.

Normally open tie pulse testing

A power distribution protection system and method uses communications to coordinate operation of fault protection devices. Communications may be prioritized wherein messages of a lower priority are held or discarded in favor of messages of a higher priority, for example, messages indicating a fault condition. The devices may use multiple channel access schemes in accordance with a priority of a message to be communicated.

Coordinated fault protection system

System and equipment protection is provided for an electrical power distribution system via one or more protection arrangements for detecting and responding to faults in electrical power distribution systems. The one or more protection arrangements detect whether faults are external or internal to a distribution equipment configuration in a power system via directional sensing. The protection arrangements also detect and respond to faults in a power distribution system utilizing various combinations of primary and back-up protection arrangements that are operational simultaneously and in both closed-loop and open-loop configurations.

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Michael John Meisinger, Sr